781 Electoral Offenders Arrested Nationwide- IGP
The Presidential, Gubernatorial, and National Assembly elections in various states of the federation has been conducted and the feedback on the recorded electoral acts violation indicated a total of 489 major electoral infractions and a total arrest of 781 offenders nationwide.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, CFR, disclosed this on Monday at a meeting with Strategic Police Managers from the ranks of Commissioners of Police and above focused on dissecting the complex dynamics in the election security the governance process and evaluating the performance of the Police during the entire 2023 General Elections process.
He said: “Feedbacks so far received across the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT indicates that a total of four hundred and eighty-nine (489) major electoral infractions leading to the arrest of a total of seven hundred ‘and eighty-one (781) offenders were recorded nationally both during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections and the Governorship and State Assembly Elections, while not less than sixty-six (66) firearms of various descriptions were recovered from electoral adversaries.
“A summary indicates that a total of one hundred and eighty-five (185) major electoral offenses were reported during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections with two hundred and three (203) arrests made and eighteen (18) firearms recovered.
“Similarly, a total of three hundred and four (304) electoral offences were recorded during the Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly polls with a total number of five hundred and seventy-eight (578) arrests, and the recovery of forty-eight (48) firearms.”
As the Force transit from election security governance to traditional policing functions, the IGP has cautioned individuals or groups hell-bent on triggering the populace to resort to civil disorder, either through ethnic profiling and hate speeches, to desist from such or face the full wrath of the law.
“It should be reiterated that nobody, regardless of political persuasions, backgrounds, or influence should place his or her personal interests above national interests. I must firmly warn that the Police and other security agencies shall not tolerate the resort to incitement or any act designed to threaten our national security. They are, therefore, advised in the strongest possible terms, to henceforth, draw back on current attempts to engender tension within the national security space to avoid attracting appropriate law enforcement response,” he intoned
